


We Could Leave Right Now

by Luka



Series: Iceman [2]
Category: Primeval
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-10
Updated: 2008-05-10
Packaged: 2017-10-11 19:26:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/116074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luka/pseuds/Luka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  Ryan continues his mission to woo the Iceman</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Could Leave Right Now

  
  
  
  
  


**Entry tags:**

| 

  
[fiction](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/tag/fiction), [iceman](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/tag/iceman), [ryan](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/tag/ryan), [series](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/tag/series), [slash](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/tag/slash), [stephen](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/tag/stephen)  
  
  
---|---  
  
  
Title: We Could Leave Right Now  
Author: Luka  
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Jon Lyle, Nick Cutter, Claudia Brown  
Rating: 18  
Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just playing and won't make a penny out of them. I'll put them back when I'm finished, honest!  
Spoilers: Nope  
Pairing: Stephen/Ryan  
Summary:  Ryan continues his mission to woo the Iceman  
A/N: Sequel to [A Fire is Burning](http://lukadreaming.livejournal.com/2008.html#cutid1). Thanks to the lovely [](http://fredbassett.livejournal.com/profile)[**fredbassett**](http://fredbassett.livejournal.com/) for the beta!

  


Stephen awoke to the unaccustomed presence of someone next to him in bed. He toyed briefly with the idea of still pretending to be asleep, and then slipping back to his room when Ryan went into the bathroom. He cursed his stupidity for letting himself be talked into staying the night.

"Hey." Ryan was curled on his side, regarding Stephen thoughtfully out of intense grey eyes. Shit, he was handsome.

"Hi." Stephen longed to kiss him, but knew this would just prolong the pain later.

"You OK?"

"Fine."

"Good. Just thinking about going for a run. You coming?"

Stephen nodded, relieved. Good way of ending all of this with the minimum of embarrassment on both sides. "What time is it?"

Ryan grimaced. "6am. It's like I've got a built-in alarm clock. I wake up the same time every day, whether it's work or a day off. Means I can get the run and fitness stuff out of the way early, I suppose."

"I'll get my stuff from downstairs and see you in reception in ten minutes."

They ran for about three miles at an easy pace. The forest was slowly coming to life and the overnight chill was lifting.

"D'you run every day?" Ryan scarcely seemed to have raised a sweat as they did their warming-down exercises in front of the hotel.

"Most days. I do 30 miles a week."

Ryan nodded. "You're in good shape."

"Thanks. But if you're planning press-ups, I'll pass on those!"

As they went into the foyer, Ryan's lieutenant appeared. Stephen thought his name was Lyle. "Good news, sir. The anomaly's gone and we've been stood down."

"Excellent," said Ryan.

"Dr Hart, Professor Cutter's looking for you. He's in the dining room."

"Thanks."

"Shower first," said Ryan firmly. Hart was about to argue, then nodded, knowing the soldier was right. "I'll see you for breakfast in a minute, then."

When Stephen got downstairs 20 minutes later, Cutter and Claudia were deep in conversation. He wondered irrelevantly if they'd been transported in that position from the pub the previous night.

"Morning." Stephen sat down at the next table and made a show of looking at the menu.

"Hello Stephen." Claudia smiled at him, and it reminded him that only the fact that she was good at her job and a decent person stopped him from hating her. But then it wasn't her fault …

"Stephen." Cutter barely broke off from the conversation. Stephen sometimes wondered if he'd notice if Stephen took off his clothes and did a dance round their shared office.

"I hear the anomaly's closed."

"Yes. I'm going to phone Lester in a minute. I've sent Abby and Connor home, and you might as well go as well. Grab a long weekend while you can and I'll see you at work on Monday."

Stephen nodded and looked up as Ryan joined him at the table just as Cutter and Claudia got up to leave. Ryan poured them both cups of tea and said casually: "What you got planned for the weekend, then?'

Stephen shrugged. "Nothing in particular. Sleep. Run. More sleep." Wow, his life was a social whirl of nothingness, aside from the four walls of his flat.

"Fancy coming to use the shooting range at the base?"

"You let civilians in?"

"I can wangle it, given you've got Home Office clearance."

"Thank you. I'd like that." But as he said it, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Letting someone get close to him would just store up more heartbreak further down the line.

***  


Stephen took his ear protectors off and allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. He'd wiped the floor with Ryan's lads, most of whom were obviously wondering how a civilian had learned to shoot like this.

"You're wasted in academia, mate." Lyle was leaning casually against the back wall.

Stephen shrugged. "I seem to see more of guns now than when I was shooting regularly."

"The captain said you used to shoot competitively?"

"Yeah. I was in line for an Olympic place at one point."

"What happened?"

"I went off to save the world."

"Did you succeed?"

"Nope."

"We're off to the mess for lunch. And by the way, the line is that you're here as part of a top-secret Home Office project."

"OK."

"And give the captain a chance, won't you? He's a good guy." Lyle flashed Stephen a blinding smile and wandered off to change.

"You ready to go?" Ryan was beside him, and Stephen couldn't help staring at his fabulous body showcased by a tight black teeshirt and black trousers.

Stephen nodded. "And I'd better check trains home for later on. Where's the nearest station?"

"Hereford. But you're welcome to stay at mine tonight. I'm going mountain biking in the Brecons tomorrow and thought you might like to come."

Oh hell, this was all happening too fast. But Stephen knew he wanted to go, wanted to spend time with Ryan. "That sounds good. But you don't have to be polite and keep me entertained all weekend …"

Ryan grinned at him. "I was hoping you'd do your share of the entertaining …"

Stephen burst out laughing and he liked the way Ryan's stern face relaxed in response. "Oh, I can be the perfect house guest …"

***  


Ryan's house was a semi-detached Victorian cottage. It was simply but tastefully furnished, with polished floorboards, a large sofa and evidence on the walls and shelves of Ryan's overseas postings. Stephen was particularly taken with a carved chess set, which looked middle eastern, set out on a small table.

"D'you play?" asked Ryan.

"Yeah, but you're not talking grand master standard."

"Good, because neither am I. You hungry?"

Stephen nodded, and followed Ryan through into the kitchen where he opened the freezer and pulled out two steaks and a packet of frozen peas, shoved two potatoes in the oven to bake, and started slicing mushrooms and halving tomatoes. Stephen was impressed, and said so – he'd have phoned out for a pizza.

Ryan half-smiled. "We're not talking cordon bleu here. But I can cook straightforward stuff. I assume you eat meat, incidentally."

Stephen nodded.

"Good, or it might have been the end of a beautiful friendship."

They ate at a solid pine table at the far end of the long, knocked-through living room. Stephen realised how hungry he was, and cleared his plate, then ate a banana and orange for dessert.

"Coffee?" Ryan stacked the plates and carried them through into the kitchen.

"Please." Stephen ran a bowl of hot water and began the washing-up. Ryan grabbed a tea towel and dried, putting everything away as he went. The kitchen was immaculate and you could have eaten your meal off the tiled floor. "Nice house."

"Thanks. I sometimes wish I saw more of it."

Ryan lit the fire in the front room and settled down on the sofa. Stephen hesitated, not sure whether to sit in the comfy-looking armchair, or join Ryan. So he perched on one end of the sofa.

"If you want to come closer I don't bite. Well, not unless you ask …"

Stephen laughed and inched closer. Ryan slid an arm around his waist and Stephen allowed himself to relax against him, resting his head on his shoulder. It felt good, and he liked the way Ryan wasn't hassling him. The guy exuded calm and easy competence.

Ryan kissed his hair. "OK?"

Stephen nodded. "I'm sorry …"

"What for?"

"I know I'm hard work. And most people can't be bothered …"

"I'm in no hurry. I'd have thought you'd be beating suitors off with a stick!"

"God no. Most people seem to think I'm stand-offish. And the blokes you meet in gay pubs and clubs only seem to want to get you into bed …"

"I'm not surprised. You're gorgeous." It was said matter-of-factly.

Stephen shrugged, knowing he was blushing. "I might look OK, but …"

Ryan smiled and kissed his forehead. "A bit more than OK. But you want more than just a one-night stand?"

Stephen nodded.

"Good, so do I."

Stephen felt brave, and traced his finger down Ryan's cheek to his strong jaw. He was rewarded with a kiss that turned into a full-on snog. And then they were on the rug in front of the fire, Stephen on his back with his legs locked round Ryan's waist. It was perfect and he never wanted it to end as the soldier was so gentle with him. He curled up in Ryan's arms, drowsing with the warmth of the fire on his back. All the tension and exhaustion in his body seemed to be draining away. To his horror, he heard himself whispering: "Don't leave me."

The kiss on his cheekbone was gentle. "I'm not going anywhere."

Stephen sat up hurriedly, pulling away. "Christ, I'm sorry …"

"What for?"

"Being clingy."

"You're not. Relax, Stephen. We're doing fine."

***  


The dream was so vivid he was convinced it was real. He and Ryan were on a Caribbean beach, the sky and the sea the most perfect shade of blue, and the golden sand soft between their toes. He could feel the sun on his skin and the gentle touch of Ryan's fingers entwined with his own as they walked along the beach. Ryan was wearing a singlet and a pair of cut-off denim shorts which showed off his muscular body to perfection. And then the wind got up, blowing the sand and the trees and the sea and suddenly Ryan wasn't there any more, and Stephen woke up yelling as the storm knocked him to the ground . . .

"That was some nightmare." Ryan was propped on his side, stroking Stephen's hair.

"Christ, I'm really sorry . . ."

"Don't worry. You want to hear some of mine sometime. Or maybe you don't."

"Shit, you must have seen some terrible things . . ."

Ryan shrugged and Stephen suspected this was a subject to drop quickly.  He let Ryan pull him into his arms.

"What time is it?"

"4.30."

"Oh shit, sorry . . ."

"You don't have to keep apologising."

Stephen drowsed, waking up periodically and knowing immediately that Ryan wasn't asleep either. At 6am they admitted defeat and got up. While Stephen showered, Ryan set about making breakfast. When Stephen went downstairs, an overflowing plate of sausages, bacon, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and scrambled egg appeared in front of him.

"Wow! My breakfast is usually toast and tea . . ."

"You need some calories inside you. We're going to be burning a lot today."

Stephen nodded and tucked in, surprising himself by scarfing down the lot and finishing it off with two slices of toast.

Ryan had already made a start on a packed lunch, so while he showered, Stephen put together a pile of sandwiches. He raided the fruit bowl for apples and bananas, and spotted some cereal bars and chocolate in one of the cupboards, so he added those to the pile.

Ryan strapped two bikes to the top of a Land Rover and drove them deep into the Brecon Beacons. They left the vehicle in a remote car park and set off on the bikes. The September weather was pleasantly warm but with a breeze. It felt like they were the only people in the world.

They ate lunch on a grassy outcrop, backs against some rocks, with the most fabulous view spread out in front of them. Stephen found himself telling Ryan about all these places he wanted to visit and things he wanted to do. And he heard himself agreeing enthusiastically when Ryan suggested taking two or three weeks leave over the summer and exploring the west coast of Ireland by bike.

Hang on, this was crazy, what did he think he was doing? "Look, it's OK, we don't have to … It'll be really boring for you after all the exciting places you've been to and things you've done …"

Ryan laid a gentle finger on his lips. "Just because it isn't an adventure holiday it doesn't mean I'm not interested. I've never been to that part of Ireland and have always wanted to go, as apparently my great-grandparents came from Galway. And hasn't it occurred to you that I might want to spend time with you?"

Stephen didn't know what to say. Ryan slid his arm round his waist and pulled him close. And his voice was gentle. "Stephen, what are you so scared of?"

"I …" He rubbed his eyes. He wasn't sure himself. "I don't know … It's just, I'm not used to … I … Sorry." He couldn't say it aloud, it would sound weak and feeble. And he was relieved when Ryan didn't push it, simply kissing the top of his head and passing him some of the bar of chocolate.

Late afternoon they came across a remote pub with a mountain stream at the bottom of the garden. The taciturn landlord made them some doorstep sandwiches and a bowl of chips, and they carried them outside to eat. Ryan took a healthy swallow of his pint. "OK?"

Stephen nodded. "Makes me wish I didn't have to go back to work on Monday."

"Yeah. And just our luck for an anomaly to open up in front of us, and have Cutter, Lester and all stampeding through our quiet weekend."

"Don't tempt fate!" Stephen took a bite out of his sandwich. The bread was crusty, the butter cold and fresh, and the cheese sharp on his tongue. He wouldn't have swapped it for the most expensive meal in the world. He looked up and caught Ryan regarding him thoughtfully out of those calm grey eyes. "Ryan, I … Thanks."

The soldier nodded and smiled, and Stephen smiled back. Maybe things would be OK …

***  


They got back to Ryan's about 8pm. Stephen had offered to treat him to dinner out somewhere, but Ryan shook his head. "Let's order a takeaway and you can shout me Sunday lunch tomorrow if you want to. I'd rather have my shower and then relax."

So they sat in front of the fire and played chess, the remains of a very good Indian takeaway around them. And just before midnight Ryan towed Stephen upstairs and made him lie facedown on the bed. Stephen shivered with anticipation and heard Ryan laugh.

"You can wait for that, you randy little devil. I'm giving you a massage first so you don't stiffen up tomorrow. You're not used to bike riding, are you?"

Stephen shook his head and moaned as the strong hands ranged over his shoulders, back and thighs, seemingly melting away the stiffness and tension in his body. And just when he thought it couldn't get any better, Ryan's tongue probed at his opening. Bloody hell, it was amazing, and he couldn't help squirming and wriggling, even when two strong hands clamped his waist to the bed. And then the incredible tongue was replaced by something much bigger and harder and so damn hot which stretched him and filled him. Ryan pulled him up so that he was on his knees and reached beneath him for his cock, which felt like it was going to explode.  It only took a couple of strokes from Ryan's large, slick hand and Stephen came. As he fell forward, Ryan followed him down, his cock embedded deep within Stephen and filling him with hot come.

"Oh shit!" Stephen's voice was hoarse and he reckoned it would take lifting gear to move him.

"I hope that was 'oh shit' good and not 'oh shit' bad!" Ryan's voice was husky.

"Oh shit fucking amazing!"

"Remind me never to share a changing room with you at work. Every time I see your arse it gets me hard in about a second and a half!"

Stephen summoned enough energy to wiggle his arse and laughed at the slap this provoked in return. He snuggled happily into Ryan's arms, and as he drifted off to sleep basked in the feel of the strong hands gently stroking his back.

***  


He woke with a start, his heart racing. But the nightmare, or whatever it was, had gone straight out of his head. He just knew that he had to get home. The weekend had been perfect, but that crazy sort of idyll could never last. He had to get out now, and take those memories with him, imprinted for ever on his brain. And it was unfair on Ryan – he was a good guy and didn't deserve to be second best while Stephen tried to deal with his feelings for Cutter.

Ryan was fast asleep, curled with his back to Stephen. Stephen lay there for some minutes, but Ryan didn't stir. So he wriggled out of bed and gathered up his clothes, creeping downstairs to dress. He grabbed an apple and a banana from the fruit bowl, left a note with one word on – sorry – and let himself out of the house. As he walked to the railway station he told himself that it was all for the best. Better to bale out now before they both got hurt.


End file.
